1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for cooling air which is dry and of high temperature.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a steel manufacturing plant or the like, it is an ordinary practice to admit outside air of a comparatively low temperature through an air filter into a compartment equipped with a variety of electrical apparata so as to cool each apparatus.
Recently various plants such as steel manufacturing plants have been constructed in countries having a dry, hot climate, for example, Middle East countries. Intake of dry hot outside air in such countries directly, i.e., without cooling, into the aforenoted compartment can result in an ambient temperature of 50.degree. C. or greater within the compartment which is in excess of the typical maximum allowable operating temperature, e.g., 40.degree. C., above which adverse effects on the apparata can occur. To obviate such a difficulty, a heat exchanger comprising a number of cooling water tubes has been ordinarily used between an air filter and a blower sucking the air into the compartment.
Not only in the Middle East countries, but also in many countries throughout the world, multi-tube type heat exchangers are used in some special chemical plants and in the case, for instance, of recovering exhaust gases from boilers where high temperature dry air is to be cooled.
However, in the conventional device for cooling high temperature dry air, utilizing indirect conduction of heat between water and air, the cooling effect of air is not high, thus increasing the size and weight of the air cooling device and requiring a wider space for the installation. Furthermore, the air cooling device utilizing a multi-tube type heat exchanger requires a large quantity of cooling water to flow in a single pass or in a constantly circulating manner. Additionally, the maintenance of the heat exchanger is extremely troublesome because of the necessity of cleaning the complicated cooling water tubes.